Two pesticide formulation facilities operated on this Albany, Georgia property from the 1950s through the 1980s. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. The NPL is the federal government's roster of contaminated sites that need long-term cleanup. The site has been divided into two main operable units, each covering a different geographic area and type of contamination.
More than 70 chemicals have been identified as contaminants of concern. Groundwater holds chlorinated solvents and pesticides including benzene, tetrachloroethene, chloroform, DDT and related compounds, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, endosulfan, malathion, and toxaphene. Soil and sediment on the eastern parcel contain metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and manganese, along with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pesticide residues. Sediments were later determined not to pose a threat.
Cleanup has moved in stages. Soil removal and a groundwater pump-and-treat system were completed on the western property. Soil cleanup on the eastern parcel finished in 1999. The site currently poses no threat to nearby residents and workers because surface soils have been removed and groundwater is not used for drinking water on site. Contaminated groundwater stays within the site boundary and contaminant levels are decreasing. In August 2023, the EPA signed an updated cleanup plan, called an Amended Record of Decision, for the remaining groundwater contamination. The new approach will use air sparging, soil vapor extraction, and chemical injection with zero-valent iron to break down dissolved pesticides and solvents. This work will happen in two phases. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use and prohibit residential development on the affected property. The potentially responsible parties continue groundwater monitoring and maintain vegetative cover over treated soil areas under EPA and Georgia Department of Environmental Protection oversight. Construction cleanup is not yet complete and the site has not been deleted from the NPL. Two businesses currently operate on the site, employing 26 people and generating about $17.6 million in annual sales.
Community members can get involved through public meetings, fact sheets, and public notices that EPA provides during the cleanup process. The public comment period on the 2023 cleanup plan ran from May 10 through July 10, 2023. EPA also conducts five-year reviews to check on cleanup progress, with the most recent completed in July 2023. Site records are available at the Dougherty County Public Library at 300 Pine Avenue in Albany, Georgia. Residents can also contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager directly with questions.
